Parking Deck Rehabilitations

Parking Deck Rehabilitations

SDL has investigated many types of parking deck structures, including conventionally reinforced and post-tensioned cast-in-place concrete, precast, and structural steel, with varying degrees of deterioration, ranging from early cracking to serious spalls and post-tensioned tendon failures. SDL has worked successfully with owners to observe, investigate and repair their parking decks for serviceability issues like water intrusion, inadequate precast bearing pads, element strength issues, and numerous other maintenance concerns.

Parking structures are generally exposed directly to harsh conditions which cause a multitude of structural and cosmetic issues. Exposure to rain, snow, ice, glaring sun, temperature changes and de-icing salts conspire to damage and reduce the service life of parking structures. SDL has investigated, on behalf of owners, numerous parking decks with structures that include conventionally reinforced concrete, post-tensioned concrete, precast concrete and structural steel. This deterioration can range from early cracking to significant spalling of structural members, exposed and corroded reinforcing steel and post-tensioned tendon failures. Other undesirable conditions such as water intrusion, inadequate bearing pads, ill-timed maintenance, element strength issues, disconcerting vibrations and excessive deflections threaten the serviceablilty of the structure. It is the goal of SDL, in working with the owner on their parking deck rehabilitation project to extend the life of their facility and offer economical and feasible repair solutions that minimize disruptions of use.

SDL’s initial services regarding parking structures typically involve an on-site observation of the structure and investigation of damaged elements. This is followed by a report of the findings and recommendations for follow-on actions by the owner. Upon authorization, SDL proceeds with a thorough documentation of the specific damages and the deleterious conditions observed in the structure and their exact locations. These observations are compiled and categorized so that repair materials can be identified and repair details developed to retrofit each deficiency. The resulting product for the owner is set of construction documents, that includes plans identifying each item of deterioration with referenced repair details, and material specifications, that is suitable for bidding by a contractor.

The budget and time constraints involved with the ownership of a parking garage are certainly understood by SDL. As an aid, we can prioritize each deficiency so that a piecemeal approach to the garage rehabilitation may be undertaken. Typically, the following categories are identified with this service:

Emergency Repair – Areas deemed to be of immediate concern for life safety that need to be repaired right away.

Critical Repair: These are issues that can severely affect the integrity of the structure if not corrected within 1 to 2 years. Prolonged postponement of the repairs could lead to unsafe conditions and greater repair magnitude.

Near-term Repairs – These items need to be addressed within 3 to 5 years to save on maintenance cost and time at a future date.

Long-term Repairs – Preventative maintenance to be performed within 5 to 10 years to reduce the likelihood of emergency, critical, or near-term repairs in the future.

SDL’s goal for parking deck rehabilitation projects is to extend the life of a parking deck structure and to offer economical, feasible repair solutions that will minimize disruptions of use. SDL’s relevant experience on parking deck evaluations allows a streamlined approach to identifying problems and providing recommendations for maintenance and repair. The effectiveness of SDL’s design approach has been validated by numerous satisfied clients.